Remembering Dr. J’s Baseline Move

Before “MJ” took the game of basketball by storm, the NBA was mystified by “Dr. J”

Julius Erving had the ability to give you chills and make your jaw drop. His gravity defying dunks and lay ups have been replayed countless times throughout history, but today is the 31st anniversary of perhaps his most famous move ever.

On this day 31 years ago, the 76ers were playing the Los Angeles Lakers in game four of the 1980 NBA Finals. The Sixers were looking to even the series at two games apiece, when the Doctor pulled off what is now famously known as “the baseline move.”

In the fourth quarter Erving received the ball on the right side of the court, and got past Laker, Mark Landsberger to get to the baseline. Holding the ball with one hand, Erving avoids legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, who is trying to disrupt Erving’s path and block the shot. While still in mid-air, Erving cradles the ball from behind the backboard, to the other side of the rim and makes the basket to put the Spectrum into a frenzy.

The Sixers would go on to win the game 105-102 and tie the series at 2-2, but they eventually lost the series in six games. The reverse layup lives on as one of the most memorable moments in NBA history.

Enough about what I have to say, take a look (or in my case 100 looks) at arguably the greatest moment in Spectrum history.